


Wouldn't Call It Love

by antagon1st



Category: South Park
Genre: I'll add more tags to this in the future if necessary, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, bad weed puns, despite what the title says they are in fact In Love, just some dumb drabbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-06 10:00:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13408866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antagon1st/pseuds/antagon1st
Summary: A collection of Crenny drabbles, because I love these boys more than anything.





	1. Escapism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey,,, so I decided to start posting all of my dumb Crenny drabbles on here, because I write so many little scenarios between these two that aren't long or detailed enough to post on their own, but I always kinda wanna post them anyway, so I guess this is where they're gonna live now, lol. Also sometimes I can't bring myself to focus long enough to finish writing anything longer than a couple hundred words, and it makes me feel better if I post something, even if it's really short, because otherwise I get too comfortable with not posting anything and I just stop writing altogether, haha (that reminds me, if you're someone who's been reading my other fic, I'm very sorry I haven't updated in so long and I promise I'm working on it !!). So yeah, here ya go ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

If there’s anyone in the quiet yet chaotic town of South Park who knows that Kenny McCormick isn’t quite as put together as he lets on, it’s Craig Tucker.

In his own eyes, he's never seen himself as someone with a knack for helping people put themselves back together when they fall apart— but Kenny always seems to come to him when it happens, nonetheless. 

And it always happens the same way.  
  
Craig will wake up to a gentle yet persistent tapping at his bedroom window, at some ungodly hour of the night, and he’ll know it must be Kenny, because who else would it be, so he’ll stumble out of bed to let him in, without a second thought. He doesn’t get why Kenny insists on climbing up to his second-story bedroom instead of just calling to let him know that he’s coming over, so Craig can let him in through the front door like a normal person. But he never questions it, because that’s just Kenny.

Kenny’s eyes will be red and tired from crying, as always, and he’ll be so much quieter than usual, to the point where it’s actually sort of unsettling. Occasionally, he'll even have some kind of fresh cut or bruise on his face, but Craig will never point it out. And Kenny will act like nothing is wrong, until Craig speaks, and even if it’s nothing more than a simple “hey,” for some reason it’ll make Kenny break down on the spot.  
  
And then Kenny will hug him, tightly, like he’s dangling off a cliff, hanging on for dear life, and Craig is the ledge that he’s holding onto. And Kenny will know that Craig cares, even if he doesn’t really show it, because even though Craig is never the one to initiate the physical contact, Kenny knows that he normally can’t stand to be touched, and he doesn’t let just anyone invade his personal space the way he willingly and openly allows Kenny to.  
  
Then after the initial breakdown subsides, Kenny will ask Craig if he can spend the night, even though he already knows the answer is always yes.  
  
And then they’ll get in Craig’s bed, and Kenny will lay his head down on Craig’s chest, and he’ll talk for awhile— Craig doesn’t ever ask him what happened to make him so upset, but Kenny always tells him anyway, and Craig always listens. It’ll usually have something to do with his deadbeat alcoholic parents, but sometimes it’ll simply be because he feels sad. There's not always a reason, and there doesn’t have to be— because Craig will always be there, regardless.  
  
Kenny won’t ask for advice, or manufactured words of validation or reassurance, and Craig won’t try to offer him those things— he’ll just offer silent comfort and security for the night, because that’s all Kenny ever really needs to find the strength to carry on again. He just needs to know that he always has somewhere to go when everything gets to be a little too much.   
  
At some point in the night, though, Kenny will decide that he’s fed up with the way things are. “That’s it,” He’ll say, wiping his tears away, “I’m running away.”  
  
And then he’ll turn to Craig and ask— “You’ll come with me, right?”  
  
And Craig won’t even hesitate before responding, “Of course, Ken,” and he doesn’t know if he really means it, or if he just says it because he knows that Kenny will never _really_ run away— he just needs to be reminded that he could if he really wanted to, and if he ever did, he'd still have his most trusted confidant by his side.

But he doesn’t run away.   
  
Because when Craig wakes up in the morning, Kenny is always gone, having returned home to make sure Karen gets ready for school on time, and to take a shower before work.  
  
And life goes on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to follow me on tumblr if you want, all i do is shitpost about crenny 24/7, my url is boredstorm


	2. Pretty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's something a lil more fluffy and less angsty bc maybe i don’t have to make these boys suffer all the time

It’s the summer before seventh grade, and Craig is laying in the grass in his backyard, hands behind his head, only half-listening to the blonde boy beside him, who’s been going on about which girls in their class he thinks are the prettiest for at least fifteen minutes.

“What about Bebe?” Kenny inquires, even though Craig has barely uttered a single word the whole time Kenny’s been talking, and he’s pretty much just having this conversation with himself at this point. “She’s cute, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Craig says dismissively with a shrug. It’s not that he doesn’t care about what Kenny has to say— he’s just never been very interested in talking about girls.

His eyes instinctively wander over to Kenny then, and he tries not to notice the way his messy blonde hair shines in the sunlight, or the way his blue eyes almost seem to sparkle— though he finds those things much more compelling than talking about girls. 

A thought comes to him then, and before he can realize that vocalizing it probably isn’t the best idea, the words are already coming out. “Have you ever thought that… like… a _boy_ is pretty?” He asks, having to force out the second half of the sentence because he immediately regrets opening his mouth at all, but it’s too late to go back. He almost feels kind of ashamed— no, he definitely feels ashamed, and he definitely wishes he could press rewind and stop himself from starting this conversation in the first place.

Kenny turns to look at him, but Craig continues to stare up at the sky, embarrassedly avoiding eye contact. “Like, how girls are pretty?” Kenny asks, seemingly intrigued by the topic. “...Like, you wanna kiss them pretty?”

Craig shifts uncomfortably. “I mean, I don’t know… maybe…” He trails off. Except he’s never really wanted to kiss a girl, so he wouldn’t exactly compare it to that. In fact, the idea kind of makes him feel uneasy— but he doesn’t say that.

Kenny moves to sit up then, and Craig starts to panic inside for a second because he thinks he’s getting up to leave— Kenny must think he’s a freak. He shouldn’t have said anything at all.

But Kenny doesn’t think that Craig is a freak, and he doesn’t get up to leave. Instead, he scoots closer to Craig and looks down at him expectantly, like he’s waiting for him to keep talking, and then Craig has to make eye contact, because Kenny is staring right at him and it’s awkward.

“What?” Craig asks nervously, swallowing down the lump that’s formed in his throat. Now that he’s looking into Kenny’s lively blue eyes he’s finding it kinda hard to look away— Kenny tends to have that sort of effect on him. And he kinda hates it. 

“Well, who is it?” Kenny asks eagerly, grinning down at him.

Craig scoffs. “What do you mean?”

“What boy do think is pretty?” Kenny urges. He looks so excited Craig almost thinks he’s about to start jumping up and down like a little kid.

Craig, however, is not nearly as excited about this conversation.

“No one. Just forget I said anything,” Craig replies awkwardly, turning his head to look off to the side, away from Kenny.

“Come onnnn, tell meeee,” Kenny continues to pry obnoxiously. Craig wants more than anything for this painfully humiliating exchange to just be over, but Kenny won’t quit. “I promise I won’t tell anyone!” He adds, as if that’ll suddenly make Craig change his mind.

“I know you won’t. Because I’m not gonna tell you,” Craig replies flatly, moving to sit up— to walk away. He’s very much done with this conversation. 

But then Kenny’s hands are on his shoulders, playfully pushing him back down into the grass. “Nope,” Kenny says with a stupid, self-satisfied grin, keeping Craig pinned down. “You’re not goin’ anywhere until you tell me.”

“Kenny, I swear to god, if you don’t get off of me—“ Craig starts, struggling to break free, but Kenny cuts him off.

“Is it Clyde?” Kenny begins interrogating him with obnoxious enthusiasm. 

Craig stops struggling and lets out a defeated sigh— it’s no use, Kenny is stronger than him. “No,” He replies, rolling his eyes. He can’t fathom why the hell Kenny cares so much. 

“Token?”

“No.”

“Stan? Kyle?” Kenny continues to list off names of the boys in their grade. “...God, please don’t tell me it’s Cartman.”

“Dude, no!” Craig replies with a grimace, a bit insulted that Kenny would even _suggest_ such a thing.

Kenny goes quiet for a moment then— he’s thinking. “...Is it me?” He asks eventually, raising an eyebrow curiously, and Craig tenses up underneath him. He knew Kenny would figure it out eventually. 

“Kenny, come on, stop,” He says anxiously, avoiding the question. “Please just drop it.”

Kenny’s whole face lights up with excitement and realization then, and Craig curses himself for not just saying no, even though it would’ve been a lie.

 _Both_ of his secrets are out now, he guesses.

“You didn’t say no!” Kenny exclaims giddily, grinning widely enough that Craig can see his missing tooth. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

Kenny lets go of his shoulders then, no longer needing to keep Craig restrained now that he’s gotten his answer, but Craig doesn’t get up— he just lays there and closes his eyes, letting out an embarrassed and exasperated sigh. He really hadn’t wanted Kenny to know— or anyone at all, for that matter.

But then Craig’s eyes flutter open again in shock when he suddenly feels Kenny’s lips pressed against his own, without any warning— they’re soft, and the kiss is so brief that Craig thinks he might have imagined it, but no, it’s real, it happened. He feels Kenny smile against his lips before he pulls away, and then he feels warm all over, and he doesn’t think he’d be able to move even if he wanted to. Several moments pass and Kenny’s face is still only inches away from his.

“I think you’re pretty too, Craig,” Kenny says, genuinely, breaking the silence, and it’s not until then that Craig notices just how fast his heart is beating.

And then Craig decides that maybe, Kenny finding out his secret isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened.


	3. You Get Me So High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is so dumb but idk man I think it's cute

It’s around eleven o’clock on a school night, and Kenny and Craig have cast their high school geometry homework aside and opted for a couple of joints instead. The atmosphere is thick and heavy, clouds of marijuana smoke hanging in the air above them. They’re sprawled out next to eachother on Kenny’s bedroom floor— their favorite place to be.

They’ve both lost track of the time, along with the number of joints they’ve smoked between the two of them, but that’s okay— it’s not like they have anywhere else they need to be.  
  
Kenny takes another hit from what might be his third joint, he’s not really sure, and then he glances over at Craig— it’s one of the rare occasions that he’s not dressed in his usual blue ensemble which consists of his hat and jacket, because it’s so goddamn hot in Kenny’s room, so he’s left in just a white t-shirt and one of his many pairs of black skinny jeans— similar to what Kenny is wearing, except his jeans are blue. Craig’s eyes are half-lidded and bloodshot, his cheeks are a little flushed, and his hair is all kinds of fucked up. He looks like a mess, but it works on him— at least Kenny thinks so.  
  
Kenny has smoked with a fair amount of people in his life, but Craig is _by far_ his favorite person to do it with. Because even though he likes to try and deny it, it’s no secret that normally, Craig can be somewhat aloof and standoffish— and Kenny absolutely _adores_ the way he lets loose and unwinds when he’s completely stoned out of his mind. Kenny knows it’s a privilege; very few people get to see the fun side of Craig. And he couldn’t feel more lucky that he gets to be one of them.

And of course, Craig doesn’t mind Kenny’s company either. In fact, he’d even go as far as to say that he likes him— he probably wouldn’t have slept with him all those times if he didn’t.

There’s a comfortable silence between them as they lie there on the floor— but leave it to Kenny to change that. When Craig hears him suddenly start to laugh for no reason, he knows he’s about to say something dumb. It’s inevitable.

“Hey, Craig,” Kenny says, trying to suppress more laughter. Craig simply looks at him, and there it is; the stupid lopsided grin that’s always plastered on Kenny’s face right before he’s about to make some kind of obnoxious pun, or say something else that’s completely ridiculous.

And that’s exactly what he does.

“Are you a drug?” Kenny speaks again, then pauses to giggle for a few seconds, and Craig just glares at him because he knows exactly what’s coming. “...Because I mari _juana_ take you home tonight,” Kenny finishes reciting the awful pickup line, barely able to get all the words out because he’s too busy trying not to laugh.

Craig rolls his eyes, but he can’t help but smile a little bit, revealing his crooked teeth. _“Shut_ up,” He says, and it just makes Kenny start laughing even harder. “Shut the _fuck_ up.”

“Wait, wait, I have another one,” Kenny proclaims eagerly, taking another quick hit from his joint before setting it down on the ashtray that’s next to him on the floor, and Craig lets out a groan of feigned annoyance before taking another hit as well. Kenny rolls over to face Craig. “Let’s have a threesome— you, me, and Mary Jane,” He says, wiggling his eyebrows.

A laugh escapes from Craig’s mouth this time. “God _dammit,_ Kenny,” He chuckles, bringing his joint up to his lips again and shaking his head disapprovingly as he inhales. Then, he reaches over Kenny and places his joint in the ashtray as well. “...Okay, I think I have one,” He announces, sitting up.

Kenny raises an eyebrow. “Yeah? Let’s hear it.”

It’s quiet for a few moments then before a confused look settles on Craig’s face, having lost his train of thought entirely. “...Wait, what were we talking about again?” He asks, squinting his eyes, and Kenny fucking _loses it_ right then and there.

And then Craig is laughing uncontrollably as well, falling back into his original position on the floor. He’s laughing so hard that his eyes are tearing up and he’s clutching his stomach, and Kenny thinks the sight is absolutely beautiful.

Kenny can’t help himself anymore— he inches closer to Craig on the carpet and places a hand on his cheek, pulling him into a sloppy open-mouthed kiss, and Craig immediately reciprocates, letting out a satisfied hum.

Kenny definitely feels the most like himself when he’s with Craig— and he feels like he’s on top of the world when he’s kissing him.

And for Craig— well, Kenny is really the only person he feels _comfortable_ enough to be himself around. He feels right at home, there on Kenny’s bedroom floor— and not just because Kenny gives him free weed.

“Did my pickup lines win you over?” Kenny asks in a hushed tone when they break apart for air, their foreheads still pressed together.

“Oh, definitely,” Craig chuckles lowly. Meanwhile, Kenny is moving to straddle him. “You reciting shitty weed puns is the only form of foreplay I’m interested in,” He adds, heavy sarcasm in his tone.

Kenny smiles down at him affectionately. “Damn, guess I better come up with some more, then,” He replies.

“Y’know, I’d really rather you not,” Craig remarks smugly.

Kenny shrugs. “Well, you know how to shut me up,” He says with a mischievous grin.

Craig rolls his eyes— he comes off as uninterested and unwilling, but that’s just how he is. And even though Kenny knows him so well, he still lets out a surprised and excited giggle when Craig flips them over so that he’s on top, and kisses him deeply. Craig usually isn’t one to take initiative— but that’s why Kenny loves it so much when he’s high.

But, Kenny supposes he loves Craig no matter the circumstances.

And Craig might just feel the same way about him, too.


End file.
